The Shining
Not only is it arguably the most popular film adaption of a Stephen King novel ever made , butThe Shininghas also been gas as a cinematic chef-d’oeuvre in its own rightfulness . Directed by master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick , and anchor by a powerful performance by Jack Nicholson , it is a hauntingly psychological film that will affect TV audience long after it ends , which is incisively the sort of impact a King novel has .
ThatThe Shiningsucceeded despite swan quite far from King ’s written work is a testament to how important it is for a film to enamor a novel ’s burden without dilution . Kubrick did n’t retain everything from King ’s story , but he kept the Congress of Racial Equality concepts that encouraged the most fear , paranoia , and discomfort . Many of the main character differed quite a lot from their on - projection screen counterparts , contained below in their descriptions .
THE OVERLOOK HOTEL
In King ’s novel , the Overlook Hotel is much more of apresencethan in the motion-picture show . Though it does n’t have an elaborate hedge maze ( just topiary hedges out in front ) , it has other unique aspects that come alive when it senses Danny . King fill his novel with all sorts of sounds to the structure , but Kubrick think silence was more redoubtable .
In the novel , various edges , a hose , and of path the elevator come animated and endanger Danny , but in the film , the biggest will to the hotel being sentient is the elevator that floods the corridor with an ocean of blood . It require Danny ’s powers and it will do anything to get them . It finally explodes from an overactive steam boiler in the record book , but not in the film .
JACK TORRANCE
In the novel , John Daniel Torrance is a teacher who lost his job by badly beating a student in a drunken rage . He ’s suggested for the positioning of caretaker of the Overlook Hotel by a friend who skip that by test he can look after it in the offseason , he can get his erstwhile caper back at a honored New England homework school . He have intercourse Wendy and Danny dearly .
Jack Torrance in the film is a novelist , who seems irate with his crime syndicate much of the time , and grows even more irascible as the weeks of closing off continue and he makes short progress on his account book . He ’s only been drab for 5 month , as react to the 14 in the novel , andwhen he finally has a genial breakdown , he wields an ax and not the croquet mallet from the record .
WENDY TORRANCE
In the novel , Stephen King is very specific in describing Wendy Torrance as a striking blonde with a " cheerleader " personality . Bright charismatic , and practical , she ’s loved by her hubby and never verbally misuse for her want of intelligence .
By contrast , Wendy Torrance inKubrick ’s filmis meek , waifish , and benighted - haired . She has an unusual feeling that resembles deviate degree of unkempt , and her hubby Jack on a regular basis put her down , even in front of their son and others .
DANNY TORRANCE
Danny is a bright boy of five in King ’s book , who is capable to read at an forward-looking pace for his year , and loves to watch Sesame Street . He knows several large words and communicates surprisingly well with his parent . He possess curious office telephone " the shining " , which the Overlook Hotel wants .
In the film , Danny is n’t uniquely intelligent despite being 7 year honest-to-goodness and love Road Runner sketch . He does n’t talk all that much , though he does talk to the human being who live in his fingerbreadth named Tony . He does n’t have any special telepathic gift , though Dick Hallorann does bring up that he " glisten " .
DICK HALLORANN
In both the novel and the film , Dick Hallorann is the point chef at the Overlook Hotel . He has a unique telepathic power call " the shining " , which he talk about with Danny Torrance at duration . In the novel , its Danny ’s psychical connexion with Hallorann that root on him to return to the Overlook Hotel and save him right when he ’s in the most peril .
In the pic , Hallorann dies by taking an ax to the chest when Jack Torrance stand a mental breakdown and begins running wildly through the hotel . This creates a large plothole because , in the novel , Hallorann ’s telepathic power allows him to foresee his own demise , and thus avoid it . Despite the fact that he gets injured , he ’s capable to facilitate both Wendy and Danny get to safe .
TONY
In the novel , Danny has an notional supporter named Tony who only he can see , and though they become inseparable , Tony is an independent being . In Kubrick ’s film , Tony is never seen at all but alternatively lives in Danny ’s finger .
The verbal description of Tony in the novel is quite extensive when Danny finally come across him , " Tony was like looking into a magic mirror and seeing himself in ten years , the eyes widely space and very non-white , the chin house , the mouth handsomely molded . The hair was light blond like his mother ’s , and yet the stamp on his features was that of his founding father as if Tony — as if the Daniel Anthony Torrance that would someday be — was a halfling caught between begetter and boy , a spook of both , a spinal fusion . ”
STUART ULLMAN
In the novel , Stuart Ullman is n’t a particularly skillful humankind . scant and plump and constantly angry about something , he ’s hated by the staff of the Overlook Hotel and tells John when he first arrives that if it were n’t for his superiors , he would n’t have give him the caretaker position .
By contrast in the film , he ’s nice and civil with his stave , and warm and welcome to the Torrances when they arrive . He explains what happen to the former caretaker , and warns Jack about the effects of closing off when the snow begins to come .
ROGER THE DOGMAN
Roger is mention as the lover of Horace M. Derwent , possessor of the Overlook Hotel . Infatuated with Derwent , Roger pines for him relentlessly though Derwent humiliates him verbally any chance he gets . John ascertain that the only way Derwent would consider taking Roger on as a devotee would be if he wait on a ball dressed as a " cunning piffling doggie " .
In the film , Roger is never mentioned by name but is seen by Danny as a world in a bear costume giving a human race who is thought to be Horace M. Derwent fellatio on a hotel bed .
DELBERT GRADY
Delbert Grady is the old caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in both the novel and the film ( first name " Charles " in the film ) . In both representative , he ’s first discussed between Jack Torrance / John Daniel Torrance and Stuart Ullman as he ’s being sacrifice the rundown of his duty at the hotel and some of its history .
In the novel , the bodies of Grady ’s family are found in the timberland . In the film , their bodies are found pile inside the hotel . In the novel , Grady appears to John and free him from the buttery ( if he promise to defeat Wendy and Danny ) , but in the photographic film , he appear to Jack in the men ’s washroom . His twins are never seen in the novel , whereas they have a striking scene in the picture with Danny .
